The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Pentagon sees Islamic State resurgence in Libya amid Tripoli fighting The Donald Trump administration has reported an uptick in the Islamic State’s power in Libya as strongman Khalifa Hifter has continued to march on the capital of Tripoli. Libya
Turkey files motion to quash Washington protest attack case Turkey is trying to get a lawsuit thrown out filed by the demonstrators attacked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security guards in a 2017 visit to Washington, DC. Turkey
How Khamenei made Abe's Iran visit a mission impossible Japan's prime minister was in Tehran to deliver a message of rapprochement from the US president. But Shinzo Abe received a tough albeit respectful response of noncompromise from the Iranian leadership. United States
Tehran says fresh US sanctions block path to diplomacy The US administration's latest sanctions targeting several Iranian officials, including the country's supreme leader, have drawn the ire of the government in Tehran. United States
Why Erdogan’s historic Istanbul defeat is irreparable The government’s defeat in Istanbul's mayoral election is nothing less than a historic watershed, for Erdogan lacks the means to remedy the factors behind this outcome, mainly the economic crisis bruising the country. Turkey
Moscow seeks Iran-Israel compromise at Jerusalem security chiefs meeting During the trilateral meeting of national security advisers from Russia, Israel and the United States, Moscow stressed Israeli security concerns but also called for acknowledging Iranian interests. Israel
Nechirvan Barzani in Baghdad to discuss oil The KRG's new president, Nechirvan Barzani, traveled to Baghdad to meet the Iraqi prime minister and discuss the two sides' outstanding oil dispute. Iraq
Egyptian, international artists explore complexity of Middle Eastern identity in Cairo The Cairo Biennale has resumed after an eight-year hiatus, bringing together international and Egyptian artists to take on identity in the Middle East. Egypt
Morocco's been busy muzzling anti-regime voices this year Morocco has stepped up its campaign against political and civil activists, raising concerns among local and international rights organizations. Morocco
Algeria's Hirak marches on in the face of official warnings Algeria’s predominantly young protesters have proven resistant to any attempt to hijack their cause and bend it to any end but their own. Tunisia
Israeli incentives hold promise for Palestinian traders, economy Gaza Strip traders are benefiting from incentives Egypt recently negotiated for them with Israel, though Palestinians know all too well how often such deals can change. Palestine
Nostalgia for 19th-century Pera meets modernity in Istanbul exhibit Cosmopolitan Pera, with luxury hotels and entertainment venues, was the recreational heart of 19th-century Istanbul, which an exhibition at the Istanbul Research Institute revisits along with a cultural addition that could have been. Turkey
